A refrigerator is an electric appliance configured to freeze or refrigerator the food stuffs stored in one or more storage compartments by lowering the temperature in the storage compartments, using the cold air generated via the freezing cycle configured of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator.
Such a refrigerator typically includes a refrigerator compartment for storing refrigerated food or beverage at a low temperature and a freezer compartment for storing frozen food at a low temperature below zero.
The refrigerator may be categorized into a top mount type refrigerator having a freezer compartment arranged in a top; a bottom freezer type refrigerator having the freezer compartment arranged in a bottom; and side-by-side type refrigerator having the freezer and refrigerator compartments arranged side by side. In this instance, doors are coupled to the freezer and refrigerator compartments, respectively, so that a user can have access to the compartments.
Rather than the refrigerator having the freezer and refrigerator compartments provided independently, there is another type of a refrigerator having one door. Such the refrigerator allows the user to have an access to the freezer or refrigerator compartment via one door and it is usually a mini refrigerator having the freezer compartment provided in a predetermined internal space of the refrigerator compartment.
The top mount type refrigerator includes a French type refrigerator having the top mount refrigerator compartment which is closable by right and left doors. The freezer compartment of the French type refrigerator can be also open and closed by right and left doors.
Recently, the refrigerator is provided with diverse functions which developed from original functions of freezing or refrigerating food or beverages. Specifically, a dispenser is installed in the door of the refrigerator to provide purified water and ice. A display is provided in a front surface of the door to show an operational state of the refrigerator so that the user can manage the refrigerator.
There is released a type of a refrigerator having the storage compartment configured to be partially open. In other words, a sub-door is provided in a sub-storage compartment which is provided in a main-door of the refrigerator. A predetermined area of the main-storage compartment as the sub-storage compartment is partitioned off by a partition wall. Such the type of the refrigerator may be called a DID (door in door) refrigerator or a double-door refrigerator. When the sub-door is open, the cold air leaked outside from the main-storage compartment may be reduced enough to enhance energy efficiency.
For example, the beverages which are used often are stored in the sub-storage compartment and the user can open the sub-door to have access to the sub-storage compartment, without opening the main-door.